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tashtasher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Physical abuse and Toxic friendship
hoppskotch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
laurenbookwitchbitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism
adverb17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Grief, and War
cviii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Xenophobia and Stalking
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I can see why people think it's brilliant and how it won awards, but for me personally, it's fine as a novel. Nothing too special in my reading experience.
As with the original, the monster is the most interesting character and we never get enough time with him. There are a lot of tangents and other character povs, which may be annoying to some readers. I enjoyed how all the characters added to the sense of place and time and the exploration of the American invasion of Iraq and subsequent impacts of war on society. However, this detracted from the framing device of the monster - an extra 20-30 pages with the monster's perspective would've been great.
My favourite characters were Hadi (his story and resolution made me so sad) and Elishva, whose enduring love for her long lost/dead son was bittersweet. I do wish there were more female characters pov than just Elishva, who was painted as the "crazy old woman." Mahmoud - my least favourite and most common pov - had a really awful perspective on women and "love" (aka obsession) that was delusional, disrespectful, and all too common among many men. He frustrated and engaged me as a character.
Overall, an interesting and thought-provoking read that probably won't stick with me too long. I'm glad I finally read this off my shelves.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual harassment
aegireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Grief, Murder, and War
mme_carton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal cruelty
igafk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The multi-character narration is also what conjures the powerful setting. Saadawi portrays a Baghdad that has been utterly destroyed by the U.S. invasion. Not only that, but he also demonstrates the resulting corruption and in-fighting that went hand-in-hand with the invasion. Baghdad is in ruins, no one can be trusted, and the streets are littered with corpses. Residents are fleeing to the countryside or leaving Iraq entirely. The glimpses of the true reality of senseless modern war in this novel are incredibly sobering.
All that being said, I ultimately felt neutral upon finishing Frankenstein in Baghdad. I think perhaps some of the dark humor that has been ascribed to this book fell flat for me, personally. Maybe it is an issue of translation or just general cultural differences. I'm not sure. I definitely got that some of the bureaucrats featured were exaggerated caricatures of real officials. However, I didn't actually experience comedy. Also, the portrayal of women in this novel is pretty terrible. Elishva is pitiful & disrespected and the way that Mahmoud acts around Nawal near the book's end is gross.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual harassment